Greek Salmon and Orzo Skillet

4.50 from 26 votes

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This Greek Salmon and Orzo Skillet is all made in one pan and perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner!

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Greek Salmon and Orzo in a stainless steel skillet

Orzo is one of my favorite shapes of pasta. Yes, it’s pasta, it’s been known to be confused as a rice product. The size and shape are similar to rice, but that’s about the only similarity. Orzo is great because it works well in both hot and cold pasta recipes.

I love to use it in cold pasta salads. My favorite one is this spinach orzo chicken salad with goat cheese. This Greek meatballs and orzo skillet is one of my favorite ways to serve orzo warm and it’s also what gave me the inspiration for today’s recipe, Greek salmon and orzo skillet.

Salmon is my favorite type of fish to eat and Greek/Mediterranean flavors are up there on my list of favorites. Fresh herbs, lemon, salty feta, briny olives, what’s not to love? As with many of my recipes, this a one pan salmon and orzo dinner. I can’t stand doing dishes, so any time I can cook everything in one pan, I do.

Greek Salmon and Orzo Skillet ingredients on a sheet pan

Ingredients For Greek Salmon And Orzo Skillet

  • sockeye salmon
  • dried oregano, smoked paprika and garlic powder
  • orzo
  • garlic
  • sun dried tomatoes 
  • lemon
  • low sodium chicken broth or water
  • flat leaf parsley
  • dill
  • kalamata olives
  • feta
greek spiced salmon fillet on top of orzo with feta and kalamata olives

How To Make Greek Salmon And Orzo Skillet

For this recipe you can use skin on or off salmon. My preference is to use wild caught salmon, I’m not a fan of farm raised, but use whatever you like best. The only thing that will be different if you don’t use sockeye salmon, will be the cooking time. Sockeye salmon cooks very quickly because it’s leaner and usually not as thick.

Start by combining the dried spices and then sprinkling and patting them onto the salmon. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet then place the salmon fillets in. If you’re using skin-on I like to sear that side first. Cook it until it’s about 90% cooked through and then flip it over and let if finish on the flesh side. Once you flip it, it should only need another minute or so to cook.

Greek Salmon and Orzo in a skillet with a wooden spoon lifting up one of the salmon fillets.

Remove the salmon onto a plate and remove the skin. Cover it with a piece of foil so it stays warm. Wipe out the skillet and add in the chopped sun dried tomatoes, garlic, dried oregano, lemon zest, and orzo. You won’t need to add additional oil to the skillet since there should be some coming off of the sun dried tomatoes.

Toast the orzo for a minute and then pour in the broth or water. Season with salt and pepper and then bring it to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to medium and let it simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes or until the orzo is tender. You’ll want to stir the orzo often while it cooks to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once the orzo is cooked, stir in the parsley, dill, olives, feta and squeeze in the lemon juice. Add the salmon back into the skillet and it’s ready to serve.

A serving of Greek Salmon and Orzo Skillet on a white plate with a fork and the skillet is behind the plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I double the orzo?

Yes. Increase the orzo to 2 cups uncooked and the liquid to 5 cups. I would also recommend increasing the amount of fresh herbs, feta, lemon juice and olives if you do this.

What can I use instead of salmon?

If you need to replace the salmon in this recipe, I would substitute with a firm white fish such as halibut or cod. They cook similarly to salmon and you’ll know they’re done when they’re opaque and flake easily.

Can I use a different type of pasta?

Any size or shape of pasta will work for this recipe. For every 4 ounces of pasta you’ll need 8 ounces of liquid.

wooden spoon holding up a salon fillet on top of greek orzo.

More Salmon Recipes

A serving of Greek Salmon and Orzo on a white plate with a half of a lemon behind the plate.
4.50 from 26 votes

Greek Salmon and Orzo Skillet

By Danae Halliday
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 17 minutes
Total: 32 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 16 ounces uncooked sockeye salmon
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup uncooked orzo
  • 2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic grated or minced
  • Zest of a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth or water
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped dill
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta

Instructions 

  • Combine the dried oregano, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper and sprinkle it evenly onto the salmon fillets.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add in the salmon fillets. Cook for 3-4 minutes (skin side down if using salmon with skin) before flipping it and cooking another 2-4 minutes or until the internal temperature is 130°-135° F.
  • Remove the salmon from the skillet and onto a plate covering it with foil so it stays warm. Remove the skin if you used fillets with the skin on.
  • Wipe out the bottom of the skillet. Keep the heat at medium-high and add in the sun dried tomatoes, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, and orzo. Stir everything together and let the orzo toast for 1 minute before adding in the broth or water.
  • Bring to a boil and cook until the orzo is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir the orzo often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. When the orzo is cooked, stir in the lemon juices, dill, parsley, olives and feta. Add the salmon back into the skillet and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 447kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 40gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 282mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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